Alpha's Dark Desires

Chapter 41: Punishing Sub

Kane POV

I’d have to deal with Elena later. Right now, I needed to get my sub in line. As much as it pained me to push Elena’s issues aside, I had to take care this issue with my sub . With a deep, steadying breath, I pulled out my phone and dialed Ashley walking off to avoid Elena from hearing.

"Master," she greeted excitedly from the other end of the line. Her voice, though eager, felt like an irritant in the current state I was in. I had no patience for this right now.

"Who told you you could talk to my mate?" I growled, my tone cold and unforgiving. The words left my mouth before I could even think them through, but they came from the anger that still simmered in my chest.

"I—I didn’t mean to upset you, Master," she stammered, her voice now meek, which did little to calm my rage. noveldrama

I clenched my jaw. She knew better. It was my job as her Dom to punish her whenever she stepped out of line, but today—today felt different. Every instinct I had screamed that I couldn’t be in two places at once. Elena was my mate, but Ashley was pushing me to deal with her. A session with Ashley felt like cheating on my mate, and my wolf growled at the thought of it. The last thing I wanted was to be distracted by anything that wasn’t Elena right now.

But I also knew that if I didn’t punish my sub, if I didn’t assert control over her, she’d keep pestering Elena. The constant strain between managing my submissive and my mate was becoming unbearable.

"I’ll be at the cottage in thirty minutes. And I expect to find you there," I said, my voice sharp. There was no room for negotiation, not today.

Without waiting for a reply, I hung up, feeling a tension coil tighter in my chest. How was I supposed to balance these two parts of my life when one threatened to unravel the other?

I made my way back to my room, my mind still buzzing with everything that had happened. I knocked lightly before opening the door, unsure of what I’d find inside. Elena had wrapped herself in the bedcovers, her posture tense, as though she was trying to hide from me. I could hear her heartbeat increase, the rapid thumping telling me she wasn’t asleep.

"Elena," I said, my voice softer than I’d intended. "I’ll come pick you up at five so we can go shopping. Get you some clothes. Maybe we can grab dinner, if you’d like."

I waited for her response, the seconds stretching long and thick between us. But there was nothing. Not a word, not even a shift beneath the covers. Just silence.

I clenched my jaw, frustration building. I don’t have the patience for this right now. Without waiting any longer, I turned on my heel and left, closing the door behind me with more force than necessary.

Okay, so this whole "mate" thing wasn’t the picture-perfect, sunshine-and-roses kind of life people always made it out to be. I had expected some form of ease, of connection, but it felt more like walking on broken glass with every step I took. The weight of the responsibility, the constant push-and-pull between my protective instincts and my own emotions—it was overwhelming.

I drove off toward the cottage, the engine’s hum barely noticeable under the roar of my thoughts. I was furious, I felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of her silence, the tension between us that I couldn’t seem to bridge. I didn’t know how to reach her. And that thought, more than anything, made me angry.

I arrived at the cottage and parked the car, spotting Ashley’s vehicle already there. My chest tightened. I should have felt the usual thrill, the excitement that came with preparing for a session with one of my subs, but there was nothing. Not this time. This wasn’t about pleasure or desire. Not when Elena was still on my mind, still wrapped in that cold silence.

As I stepped into the house, the familiar scent of the cottage mixed with something darker—an undercurrent of tension that had nothing to do with Ashley’s presence. My dominant side immediately rose to the surface, but this time, it was fueled by anger. I wasn’t here for a session to indulge myself; I was here because Ashley had made everything worse with my mate. Every damn thing.

I didn’t bother with the usual rituals. I didn’t remove my shirt or change into the jeans I usually wore for these sessions. No. This wasn’t about the usual control and dominance I imposed on my subs—it was about maintaining a facade, a control over myself, that I wasn’t sure I had.

As I entered the playroom, Ashley was already in position. Naked except for her panties, she knelt in the submissive pose I had come to expect from her. The sight should have stirred me, should have elicited the usual surge of heat, but it didn’t. There was no rush of desire, no tightening of my muscles. I felt... nothing.

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Get up," I commanded, my voice firm and cold. "Lie on the bed, on your stomach."

Ashley immediately obeyed, her eyes downcast, her posture flawless. Good sub, I thought briefly. She had always been a core submissive, craving extreme sensations and finding pleasure in pain. At times, it had scared me, the way she could endure and even revel in the brutality I imposed on her. But tonight... tonight, I wasn’t interested in indulging in that. My mind was elsewhere—my thoughts plagued by her, the one I should be marking, not playing out these rituals.

I chained Ashley’s hands to the bedposts, each wrist bound tightly. Her legs followed suit. The act was mechanical, methodical. I wasn’t present in the way I usually was—no anticipation, no desire. The room, which should have been alive with tension, felt dead to me.

"You know why I’m punishing you," I said, my voice cold, emotionless.

"Yes, Master," Ashley replied meekly, but her voice only irritated me further. She was being obedient, doing everything right, but I couldn’t bring myself to desire her.

This should’ve turned me on. This sight—her vulnerability, her obedience—should have ignited a fire within me. But there was only... nothing.

I grabbed the leather whip from the array of tools hanging on the wall beside the bed. With a sharp motion, I ripped her panties off, exposing her bare ass to me. The sight should’ve driven me wild, but I felt only a cold detachment.

"You don’t talk to my mate without my permission," I said, the words leaving my mouth in a harsh whisper.

"Yes, Master," Ashley replied, though the words were muffled by the anticipation in her tone.

Why couldn’t Elena just be like this simple? The thought pushed itself into my mind, unbidden. A good, simple submissive. No complications, no fights. Just obedience.

I quickly blocked the thought. Focus. You’re here for a reason.

Then, the memory of Elena’s words—her anger when I tried to touch her after being with Ashley—flooded my mind. She had been clear about what she wanted. No touching. Not after Ashley. I paused, realizing I had to make a choice. So, I walked to the drawer and grabbed a pair of gloves. It felt foolish, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had to do this—had to respect her request, no matter how absurd it seemed in the moment. I know she didn’t mean that I should wear gloves but.....

I slipped the gloves on, the leather cool against my skin, then returned to Ashley, who was already trembling with anticipation.

I took the whip again, the sound of the leather cutting through the air before it struck her back. I delivered ten lashes, one after another, each strike met with a quiet gasp or a stifled moan. The sensation should’ve fueled me, but it didn’t. There was no heat in my veins, no spark of desire.

When I stopped, I went to the drawer and pulled out the ointment to soothe her skin and pain, rubbing it into her back gently. I could smell the sweet, musky scent of her arousal, the room thick with it. Still, I felt nothing. She loved this, craved it—but I felt nothing.

I knew what she wanted. She wanted the release. But tonight wasn’t about giving her what she craved. Tonight was about denying her, about making her feel the weight of her punishment. She was begging for it, but I wasn’t done yet.

I went to the drawer again and pulled out a vibrator and an orgasm ball. These toys were meant to tease, to push her to the edge without letting her tip over. I inserted the orgasm ball inside her, then carefully lubed up the vibrator, before sliding it into her backside. As soon as I turned it on, her body jolted, and a scream of pleasure tore from her throat. But I didn’t allow her to reach that release. Not yet. Not tonight.

Her body writhed beneath me, begging for more, but I stood there, watching her with a cold, detached expression.

You don’t get to come until I say you can.

The minutes stretched on, and I could hear her soft cries, the desperation in her voice. She’ll be begging soon, I thought, but it didn’t excite me.

I stepped out of the room to clear my head, my wolf restless inside me. The beast was furious—furious that I was involved in anything with someone who wasn’t Elena. I could feel his fury pressing against my chest, demanding that I stop this, that I throw Ashley out.

"Stupid human," my wolf growled. "What are you doing? She’s not our mate. She should be gone."

I tried reasoning with him, though I knew it wouldn’t be easy. "Ash, you have to calm down. Yes, Ashley isn’t our mate, but she’s still our sub, and we’re bound by the contract. I can’t just break that."

"Not ’we,’ human. You. Get rid of her. She means nothing."

His anger roiled in my chest, and I struggled to keep it contained. "I know, Ash. I know. I just need to finish with her, then we can go deal with our stubborn mate."

It took thirty minutes to calm him down, thirty minutes of deep breathing and attempts at pushing the rage aside. Finally, I felt some semblance of control return.

I returned to the playroom to find Ashley still writhing on the bed, the vibrator still working its magic, her body slick with sweat, her cries echoing in the room. She was begging for release, but I wasn’t about to give it to her.

I removed the toys, pulling the vibrator and orgasm ball out of her. I untied her and ordered her not to touch herself.

I walked out of the room, already heading toward the car. It was past four in the afternoon, and I had a mate to deal with.